Dark Places
by AshleyTrecartin
Summary: Follows Day of the Dead. It's been a month since Dean had to kill John. Now, they're all easing back into the hunting, but something it happening only Dalia knows about. The soulmate light that used to radiate off Dean is fading. Day by day it grows duller and duller. She's afraid that it's going to go out all together. Will she be able to save them before it's too late?
1. The Ritual

**I hadn't planned on writing a fourth part to this series, but here it is. I jut love writing Dean/Dalia, so here it is. The plot for this chapter was based off a creepypasta called "The Ritual".**

* * *

 **Dark Places**

 **Chapter One: The Ritual**

Rain misted down on the windshield of the Impala as Dean drove through the Main country. They were on their way to White Mountain School. From what Sam had told them in the initial report was that it was a preparatory school where six kids had ended up dead, ripped apart brutally. Something beyond human means. So, they were on their way to investigate. They'd been on the road for two days now and he was ready to get out of the damn car. Sam and Elena were asleep in the backseat, Elena all but curled up in Sam's lap. Dalia was sitting beside him, going through the information Sam had printed off for the tenth time.

Dean reached over and took the papers from her, putting them in the backseat on the floor. "What was that for?" she asked, looking up at him.

He reached over and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into the middle and against him. "You're obsessing," he whispered.

Dalia sighed and rested her head on his chest. "I don't see it as obsessing, I see it as being fully prepared." She laced her fingers with his.

Dean hummed. "I'm sure. I bet you could recite that research, word for word." He kissed her head as he pulled into a gas station not far from the boarding school. He reached into the back and slapped Sam's knee. "Wake up love birds." He pulled up in front of the building and killed the engine. They all climbed out of the car and stretched. Dean walked around to the trunk and opened it, pulling out two bags. He tossed one to Sam. "Go change, we'll grab some fuel and switch out."

Sam nodded and took Elena's hand, leading her inside to the bathroom. Dalia reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. He draped his arms around her waist, holding her against him. It'd only been a month since he'd had to kill his father. Everyone had been walking on eggshells around him, not wanting to do anything that would break him or set him off. He was honestly fine. He'd dealt with it. He was ready to start hunting again. He kissed Dalia's head and followed her inside. She grabbed a basket and started walking through the aisles. "I want some chocolate," she muttered, more to herself than to him as she went straight for the candy aisle.

Dean watched her, raising a brow. He did the math in his head. "Oh hell," he groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Seriously?"

She looked over at him. "In about two days." She grabbed a handful of chocolate bars and threw them in the basket. "And don't eat all of my chocolate this time."

He sighed and went to the coolers and grabbed a case of beer. He grabbed a couple bottles of chocolate milk, ice tea, and fruit punch. He'd been with Dalia long enough now that he knew what she'd crave. He carefully balanced them in his arms and grabbed a couple bags of her favorite chips and a box of doughnuts. He met her at the counter, carefully setting things down so they could be bagged. She grinned up at him, leaning up to kiss him. "How'd I get so lucky?"

"Just did, baby." He pulled his wallet out and swiped his card. He handed her the duffel and carried the bags out to the car. By the time he got back in, Sam and Elena were walking through the aisles, dressed in their FBI clothes. He headed back to the bathroom. Dalia was waiting outside of the bathroom for him. He followed her in and started pulling his clothes off. "How far away are we?"

Dalia pulled her dress pants up and fastened them. "Ten minutes." She rolled her head on her neck and pulled her suit jacket on. "They'll be in the middle of lunch when we get there."

Dean nodded and finished getting dressed. "Makes our job a little easier." He looped his tie over his head and arranged it under the collar. Dalia smiled, walking over and tightened, straightening it out. He cupped her face and bent down, kissing her. "Then tonight, you know exactly what I want to do."

She winked. "Better get it in before you have to wait a week." She smirked and grabbed their clothes, stuffing them in the duffel and walked out. Dean smirked and followed her, slapping her ass as they walked to the car. Sam and Elena were in the backseat, sharing a gas station salad. "Okay, I get that you guys like your rabbit food," Dalia said, turning and looking at them as Dean drove. "But I'm pretty sure you're better off with the microwave burritos than that."

"It's really not that bad," Elena said, taking another bite. "Besides, I'm pretty sure those gas station burritos are going to kill you."

Dalia rolled her eyes and got comfortable in her seat. "Okay, let's do the rundown," Dean said.

Sam grabbed the papers off the floor and sighed. "So, six kids end up dead on campus, ripped to shreds. The local authorities are saying that it's a wild animal."

"Be we know better." Dalia looked over at Dean. "One of the friends said that they performed some kind of ritual."

"We got a name on the friend?" Dean asked.

"Suzie Becket," Sam answered. "She's a senior."

Dean nodded and pulled up to the school. It was exactly what he'd pictured in the parking lot. Expensive sport cars he would be his last dollar the kids didn't pay for. He parked Baby between a Lamborghini and an Audi and climbed out. "You know who drives these?" he asked, nodding to the neon green monstrosity. "Douchebags." Dalia patted his cheek, walking past him towards the school. He sighed, following with Sam and Elena.

Kids in uniforms were walking over the campus, some sitting down eating, studying, there was a group of boys throwing a football around. He watched a group of girls pass, obviously checking him and Sam out. He watched the way their skirts moved around their legs and smirked. "Eyes front, solider," Dalia growled.

He smirked, leaning down so he could whisper. "Maybe we should see if we can get one of these uniforms…for research purposes."

She rolled her eyes and walked into the administrative building. "Don't hold your breath." She walked up to the desk where an old woman was sitting. "Hi there, I'm agent Benatar, these are my associates, Agent Michaels, Agent Hagar, and Agent Ford. We're here about the dead students."

The woman looked down her nose at Dalia but sniffed and nodded her head. "The headmaster will be with you shortly. Have a seat."

Dalia rolled her eyes and walked over to a bench. Dean sat down beside her. "Elena and I are going to go look around," Sam said. "We'll check out the crime scene."

Dean nodded, looking around. "Be careful." He sighed and sat back as they walked off. "So, you've been over the information, what do you think we're dealing with?" he asked.

Dalia shrugged. "I don't know, but I'd like to talk to our witness." She looked up as a man in an expensive Italian suit walked towards them.

"Agents." He held his hand out for them to shake. "I'm Headmaster James Roberts. Please, if you'll follow me to my office." He led them down the hall to an office with plush carpet and oak furniture. "I wasn't aware the FBI would be coming."

"We like the element of surprise," Dean said with a smile, sitting down. "What can you tell us about the killings?"

James sighed and folded his hands on his desk. "Just what the authorities told me. It was a wild animal. We have quite a few around here, Agent…"

"Michaels." Dean leaned forward a bit. "And we're concerned that it might be something other than a wild animal. We'd like to speak to one of your students."

"Who?"

"Suzie Beckett," Dalia answered. "She was apparently friends with the six students who were killed."

James sighed and nodded his head. "I'll have her called down and allow you my office." He walked out.

"That was easier than I thought." Dean sat back in the chair and looked around at the office.

"He thinks we're really FBI agents." Dalia got up and walked over to the window, looking out of it. She could see Sam and Elena talking to a group of students. She sighed and crossed her arms. She was so tired. She just wanted to crash. She rolled her neck as the door opened. A cute girl with blonde curls and big doe brown eyes walked in. "Suzie Beckett?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am."

Dalia ground her teeth at the ma'am comment, but let it go. "Have a seat Suzie." She walked around the desk again and rested back against it, crossing her arms. "I'm Agent Benatar and this is my partner Agent Michaels. So, you know the kids who were killed three days ago?" she asked.

"Yes, we were friends…"

"You told the police that they performed a ritual," Dean said. "What kind?"

Suzie bit her lip, playing with the hem of her skirt. "One of the seniors left an old piece of paper in the dormitories. It was a ritual to summon a demon to come and kill you."

"And you summoned it?" Dean demanded. The stupidity of people never ceased to astound him.

Suzie shook her head. "I didn't. Kathy and the others didn't think it was real. They figured it was just a joke." Tears were starting to gather in her eyes. "We didn't know."

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where's the paper with the ritual on it?" he asked.

"I don't know. The police couldn't find it." She wiped her eyes. "It wasn't at the crime scene."

Dalia sighed. "Do you remember anything about the ritual?"

Suzie reached into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I photo copies it, but it won't work unless it's the original." She handed it to Dalia. "The police thought I was crazy so they didn't take it.

Dalia gave her a card and told her to call if she remembered or heard anything about the original piece of paper before she let her go. She leaned back against the desk and rubbed her eyes. "Let's go get Sam and Elena."

xXx

They walked into their motel room, dropping their duffels and bags of food on the beds. Sam pulled his computer out and logged into the wifi while Dalia unfolded the paper Suzie had given her. She started to read it over. "Son of a bitch," she muttered, rubbing her temples.

"What?" Dean opened a beer and sat beside her.

She shook her head. "These instructions. It sounds like the real deal to me."

"What does it say?" Elena asked.

"It has to be performed somewhere great fear was felt, at night, without any lights on. You need twenty-seven black candles." Dalia ran a hand through her hair. "There are instructions for how they should be placed. Everyone participating must stand in the middle and chant a challenge to the demon twenty-seven times. If it works the candles will go out and you start running for your life."

Dean shook his head. "Why? Seriously, you hear a place is haunted, you don't go in. You find a ritual to summon a demon to kill you, you burn it."

"I think I know who they summoned, and it wasn't a demon," Sam said from behind his computer. "It's called a fovos, it's an ancient Greek creature that feeds off fear."

"Any way to kill it?"

"I don't know yet. I'll keep looking."

Dean sighed and nodded. "We need to find out what happened to the original. For all we know more kids have it."

"Won't that be fun?" Dalia got up and started changing out of her FBI clothes. She wanted an easy first case to ease back into things after John. Not this. She braided her hair and looked over at Dean. His deep sky blue light was dull, almost like it was fading out. It had been since John had come back. At first she'd thought it was because of all of the fighting and hadn't paid much attention. They'd had bigger things to worry about. But it just kept fading.

She was starting to think it was because of her. That somehow they were growing apart as soulmates and when Dean's light went out, their colors would change. Maybe he resented her. If she and Elena hadn't come around the boys wouldn't have fallen in love, Crowley wouldn't have been trying to kill them, he wouldn't have brought back John…

Dean wouldn't have had to choose between his father and herself.

She pushed the thoughts from her head. They had other things they needed to focus on right now. She grabbed the bag of food and went to the small kitchenette and started lying it out, trying to decide what she wanted to eat. It was going to be a long night of research. If they couldn't find the original, they at least needed to find a way to kill the fovos in case someone else decided to summon it.

She felt Dean walk up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she lied. She didn't want to worry him about the colors. He'd either freak out and try to fix it, and she didn't think there was a way to fix it anymore. Or, he'd brush it off, and that would break her heart. She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "I'm just tired, it was a long drive."

"Lay down, we can handle research for a few hours." He brushed her bangs from her eyes and smiled a little.

"No, it's okay. I just need to get some food and caffeine in me." She turned around again, looking through her options. She settled on a bag of chips and one of the Cokes she'd grabbed. She followed him back to the table and opened her own computer. She started looking at the police records on the dead students. "Well, they'd picked a good place for it."

"What do you mean?"

"The students were killed in the farm house behind the school. Apparently, just a few years after the school went up, the man who lived there kidnapped five different girls and he raped brutally murdered them. I'd say that's a place of great fear."

"Are there any other places around here like that?" Elena asked. The farm house would be roped off because of the murders, but if someone really wanted to perform the ritual again, they'd find a place to do it.

Dalia typed into the search bar on her computer and skimmed the results. She clicked on the third one. "In 1983 one Mr. Fred Burton killed seventeen students of this school in the basement of his house a mile down the road. After the police found him and arrested him, the house was abandoned." She sighed. "If I was going to perform the ritual, that's where I'd go."

xXx

Suzie was shaking. There was a pillowcase over her head and she was sitting between what felt like two very big bodies in the back of some kind of vehicle. She'd been on her way back to her dorm after leaving the library when she'd been grabbed. She tried asking who she was with and where they were taking her, but no one had said anything. They hadn't been on the road that long when the vehicle stopped and the engine was shut off, but it was long enough for her to be near to tears.

She was grabbed from the back seat and led across a law up a few wooden steps, and into some kind of building. The pillowcase was pulled from her head and she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes. They were in some kind of living room, covered in layers of dust accumulated over years and years. There were a scattering of black candles, all lit on the floor of the room. Jake, Ben, Mary, Julie, and Kent were standing in the middle, smirking at her. She glared at them. "What the hell is your problem?" she demanded.

"We wanted you to play with us," Kent said. He was her boyfriend of three years now. But she was seriously considering breaking up with him now. She opened her mouth to tell him off when she realized what they were going to do. They wanted to summon the monster that had killed Kathy and the others. She shook her head, taking a step back. She ran into Bret. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Kent, this isn't funny." She bit her lip and slipped her hand into her pocket. She wrapped her hand around her phone and the card Agent Benatar had given her earlier. "I don't want to do this."

Kent rolled his eyes. "Fine, just watch. Nothing wrong with that right?" he asked.

Suzie chewed on her lip and watched as Bret walked over and stood in the middle of the candles. She quickly dialed Benatar's number while they started chanting the spell. "Yeah?"

"Agent Benatar?" she whispered. "It's Suzie."

"What's wrong?"

"My boyfriend…he's…they're performing the ritual." She looked over towards the circle. She had no idea how many times they'd repeated the chant. _Come out and play fovos, come out and kill us._

"Where are you?"

"I don't know…it's some old house."

"I'm on my way Suzie, just—" the agent was cut off when a large gust of wind washed through the house and the candles went out.

Kent looked around, pulling out a flashlight. "See, nothing happened." He laughed, obviously taking joy in Suzie's panic. She looked around the room. She'd seen the photos of Kathy, she'd seen what the monster could do. It'd worked, he was just getting ready to play the game. They heard floorboards creak behind them. The monster walked out of the shadows, standing behind Bret. It was huge, at least seven feet tall. Its skin was a blood red with black lines running all over it. Like the monster from _Insidious_ or Darth Mal. It had long, razor sharp claws on its hands. The lower half of the body looked like a coat, its hooves echoing off the wood as it stepped closer. It smiled, its yellow eyes glinting in the darkness as long, white, jagged teeth were bared. Suzie screamed when it reached out, grabbing Bret around the throat and pulled his head clean off his body.

xXx

Dalia swore as Dean drove them to the house. She loaded her gun and pulled her hair back, getting ready to walk into a blood bath. "Sam, how's it coming on a way to kill the fovos?" she asked.

"As far as I can tell, you have to burn the ritual, it's the only way to send him away. I don't think we can kill it."

"Awesome." She braced herself as Dean slammed on the breaks in front of the house. They could see lights swinging about frantically as screams echoed in the night. They all tore out of the car and rushed inside. Suzie was standing in the living room, staring at the dead body of a young man, his head across the room on the other size. "Suzie?"

She spun around, tears streaming down her face. She threw her arms around Dalia and sobbed. "They did it, they called him."

"Where are they?" Dalia asked.

"Up stairs."

"Where's the paper?" Elena asked.

"Kent has it."

"Son of a bitch." Dean and Dalia tore up the stairs, Sam and Elena not far behind them. Dalia could hear Suzie following him. She hadn't taken part in the ritual, the fovos didn't want her. Or it couldn't get her. Maybe that meant they'd be safe too. When they cleared the landing at the top, six kids started running at them.

"He's coming," one of the girls shouted. "We have to get out of here." They ushered the kids in front of them, back down the stairs.

Sam rushed to the door, trying to open it. "We're locked in."

"What? We need to get out of here, he's going to kill us!" The man who shouted rushed at the door, trying to kick it down.

Dean grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the wall. "What the hell did you think was going to happen?" he snapped. "Where's the paper?"

Kent shook his head. "The demon took it."

Dean shook his head, a dangerous look on his face as he narrowed his kidney-liquefying glare on the kid. "If we were dealing with a demon, this would be a lot easier." He dropped the kid and stepped back.

"What are you talking about?" Suzie asked. "Who are you people?"

"Well, we're not FBI agents," Dalia said. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Dean. "What do we do? That thing has the paper, we can't exactly burn it."

"I don't know." He started pacing, trying to think. "Son of a bitch."

"What do you mean it isn't a demon?" Suzie asked again. "What is it?"

"It's called a fovos, it's a Greek monster that feeds off fear. The only way to kill it is to burn the ritual." Dalia looked around. She was getting nervous. The fovos hadn't followed them down the stairs. She couldn't even hear it walking around. So where the hell was it? She got her answer when she was lifted off the ground and thrown across the room. Her back hit the wall with a loud crash. She could hear people screaming and swearing as she rolled onto her hands and knees and pushed up.

Dean took a couple shots at the fovos. It laughed and backhanded him throwing him across the room. "Kill it!" one of the girls screamed. The creature reached out, its claws piercing her belly. It laughed as it pulled her insides out and let them fall on the floor.

The kids all screamed and took off running. Half going up stairs, half going to the back of the house. "Son of a bitch." Dean pushed up and shook his head. "Go with them," he told Sam. "Dalia and I will handle these ones." They took off, following the kids that had run to the back of the house. Suzie and Kent were huddle in the corner. Kent was trying to calm her down.

"What are we going to do?" Suzie asked. "It's going to kill us."

Dalia shook her head. "I don't know. We can't do anything until we get the paper from him."

"How the hell are we going to do that?" Kent demanded. The poor bastard was hysterical.

Dalia ignored him and looked at Dean. "You saw it, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, on its hip. That's where it's going to be." He ran a hand over his face. "The only problem is how do we get close enough to get to it?"

Dali shook her head. "I don't know." They heard screams come from upstairs, followed by gun shots before more people were running down the stairs. They rushed into the kitchen, Elena following them, supporting Sam who was holding a bleeding arm.

"Sammy." Dean rushed over and cupped his brother's face. "What happened?" he demanded.

"The fovos got his arm," Elena said. "It's deep."

Dean swore and looked at Sam. "Talk to me brother."

"I'm okay," Sam assured him.

"We lost Mary and Ben," Jake said, looking at Suzie.

Dalia screamed when she felt razors tearing through the skin on her back. She was thrown forward, landing on the table. It crumbled under her weight. Dean called out, pulling his gun. She heard him fire as she tried to get up. Her back was screaming and she could feel the blood gushing down her skin, soaking her clothes.

She got up and saw Elena get thrown into the old fridge, knocking it over with her weight. Dean was pushing himself up from across the room and Sam was on his knees, holding his bleeding arm. She saw the fovos grab Jake and rip his arms off. It laughed as Jake screamed before it bit his head off.

Dalia swallowed the bile rising in her throat and eyes the satchel, hanging at its hip. That's what they needed. That's where the ritual was. She pushed up on shaky legs and watched as the monster turned on Kent and Suzie. While it was preoccupied she reached out and grabbed the satchel. It howled, rattling the foundations of the house. It grabbed her around the throat and lifted her off the ground. She dropped the satchel gasping for air. Her vision started to dance, blackness creeping in around the edges. She could feel its hot breath on her face, smell the blood and the bile, thick in the air.

Suddenly, the fovos screamed, dropping her into a pile on the floor. She looked up, trying to get her eyes to work. Suzie had the satchel in the middle of the floor, flames eating it up from the lighter she had in her hand. The fovos burst into flames above her. Dalia pushed to her feet, stumbling as she tried to get away from it. Dean grabbed her, helping her up. They all rushed out the house, the doors finally opened as the fovos died.

Dean helped her to the car and she leaned against it, hissing as fresh pain shot through her back. "Let me see," he whispered, turning her around gently. She heard his swallow when he looked at her back. Her shirt was barely hanging on and blood was thick, covering from her shoulders down to her knees. Three, deep, slices had split her skin. Dean didn't know how she was walking. He kissed her head. "We'll get you stitched up."

He turned and looked at the only two survivors of the ritual. "Next time you decided to summon something, don't," he snapped.

Suzie sniffled, looking back at the house. "What do we tell the police?" she asked.

Elena put a hand on her shoulder. "You tell them it was just some crazy guy. He ran off before you could do anything about it. Understand?" Suzie nodded her head. They climbed into Kent's car and drove off. Elena went to Sam and eased him into the front seat behind her. Dean helped Dalia into the back, lying her down on her belly. "How you holding up, Dalia?" she asked.

"Peachy. Wanna stop for ice cream?" Dalia swallowed thickly, gripping the leather seat under her. She was fighting back tears as the pain seared through her. She felt like she was going to pass out. "Son of a bitch," she swore. "Dean, baby I need something."

He reached under the seat as he drove and grabbed the bottle of scotch. He handed it to Elena who carefully maneuvered herself onto the floor in the back by Dalia's head. She unscrewed the cap and helped her take a few deep drinks. Dean was trying to avoid bumps as he drove. "What do you want to do baby?" he asked. "Hospital or you want the hunter special?"

"No doctors," she gasped, going for another drink. The alcohol was helping. "See if you can get Castiel."

Without warning the angel appeared in the front seat between Sam and Dean. "What's wrong? I heard Dalia, she sounded distressed." He looked at Sam's arm, then back at Dalia's back. "What happened?" he demanded.

"It's a long story." Dean glanced in the back while Cas reached out and touched Sam's arm, healing the wounds. He hated seeing Dalia in pain like this. It tore him up inside. "It was a fovos."

Castiel frowned and looked at him before he turned and reached past Elena to gently touch Dalia's back. She cried out when his fingers came into contact with the wound and Dean had to swallow back the insult he was going to lay on Cas. It wasn't his fault. "A fovos?"

"That's what I said." He looked back. Dalia was sitting up in the seat, her back healed. She took the bottle from Elena, quickly downing it as Elena climbed up on the seat beside her.

"That's not right. They should all be dead. They've been dead for hundreds of years."

"I don't know what to tell you, man," Dean said as he pulled up to the motel. They all climbed out and he took Dalia's shoulders before they went in. "You good?" he asked.

She nodded. "As good as I'm going to get." She leaned against him as they walked inside.

He watched her strip out of her ruined clothes, clearly making Castiel uncomfortable. Everyone else was used to it. Cas cleared his throat and turned away from her, focusing on Dean. "I'll look into this, I don't like the fact that you fought one."

Dean nodded his head. "Appreciate it." He looked over at Dalia when Cas disappeared. She was taking her clean clothes to the bathroom to shower. He sighed and sat on the bed, looking over at Sam. "You sure you're okay?" he asked. It'd scared him when he'd seen Sam's arm.

"I'm okay, Dean." Sam wrapped his arm around Elena as she leaned into him, running her fingers through his hair. It had been a hard night for everyone. He looked towards the bathroom. He thought about going in there, joining Dalia, holding onto her. But he didn't. Things had been weird between them lately. Not bad, not really, just different. He wasn't sure what it was. He felt like she was regretting meeting him, joining up with him. He knew they were supposed to be soulmates, but it didn't feel like they were lately. He didn't know whose fault it was.

Instead of going after her, he changed out of his clothes into a pair of sleep pants and climbed under the sheets, waiting for her. Sam and Elena waited until she came out and went in to shower off the blood all over them. Dean wrapped his arm around Dalia as she climbed into the bed with him, lying her head on his chest. "You need a shower," she whispered.

"I'll grab one in the morning." He kissed her head, pulling her close. Right now he just wanted to hold her, to know that she was okay, she was whole. He needed to know she was there. Ever since he'd killed his father he'd needed to know the people he loved were there. He needed the reassurance.


	2. Shopping Trip

Dark Places

Chapter 2: Shopping Trip

Dalia sighed and rolled in the bed, rolling closer into Dean's chest. She smiled a little, feeling his arm wrap around her waist. They'd made it home without incident and had actually had a couple of days off. Things felt good again. She was still worried about their soulmate bond. His color had strengthened a bit, but it wasn't what it used to be. She was taking it day by day, trying to get back to where they'd been. "What's on the agenda today?" she asked.

Dean sighed, rolling onto his side, wrapping his other arm around her. "No clue." He kissed her head, running his fingers up and down her spine. Dalia bit her lip, arching into him. She loved when he stroked her like that. She looked up, cupping his face, and kissed him. He ran his hand up her back and fisted his hand in her hair, pulling her just a little closer.

She moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. This is what they needed. She nipped at his lips, trying to get a little closer. He groaned and pulled away. "It's not nice to tease me," he whispered against her lips.

She looked up at him, confused for a moment. Then she remembered. She was supposed to have started already. Dalia frowned and sat up. She was late. About two days late. She got up and pushed the covers back, going to her side of the dresser. She pulled out a pregnancy test and went to the bathroom. She wasn't pregnant couldn't be. "Dalia?" Dean called following her. He knocked on the locked door as she opened the box and pulled out the test.

Anxiety and panic started to run through her. It wasn't possible. She heard Dean rest against the door as she took the test. She chewed on her lip and unlocked the door once she had her pants back on, waiting for the test. Dalia looked up as Dean walked in. He looked at the test sitting on the counter. "Do you really think?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know." She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the little stick. "It shouldn't be possible." Dean walked over and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm defective, I'm not able to have children." She stared at the stick. She chewed her lip, waiting it out. "Dean, I'm scared…"

He turned her around in his arms and pulled her close. Dalia reached up and fisted her hands in his shirt. She didn't know what would be worse, being pregnant, or not. If she was pregnant she didn't know what they were going to do. There was so much crap going on right now with their soulmate bond. How could they bring a child into that? But if she wasn't pregnant there was something wrong with her. She was never late, ever. So what the hell was going on? "What does it say?" she asked.

"How do I know if it's positive?" he asked.

"There will be two pink lines." She bit her lip, waiting.

Dean looked over her shoulder, his arms tightening just a little bit. "It's negative." Dalia didn't know what to do with that information. She looked up at him. "Now what do we do?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I've never had this problem before." Dalia grabbed the test and threw it away. She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. "Maybe we should call Cas?"

He nodded. "Let's get dressed, then we'll call." Dalia nodded and followed him back to the bedroom. They got dressed and she sat down on the bed, laying back against the mussed sheets. She hated this. She hated not knowing what was going on. She looked over at Dean and squinted a little. The color looked stronger today. Or maybe she just wanted it to be stronger.

She ran her hand through her hair as Dean picked up his phone and called Castiel. "Hey, Cas, can you come here? Yeah, we're in the bedroom." Dean hung up as Cas appeared in the room.

"What's wrong?"

"Can you check out Dalia?" Dean asked. "Something's wrong."

Dalia sat up as Castiel knelt in front of her. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"I missed my period but I'm not pregnant." She bit her lip a little. "I never miss a period."

Cas nodded and reached out, touching her forehead. She watched his face as his grace flooded through her. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, it was just different. He pulled back and sighed, standing up. "I can't find anything wrong," he said. "As far as I can tell you're healthy."

She nodded, staring down at her lap. Something was wrong. Maybe she was just late. There was a first time for everything, right? "Thanks, Cas."

He nodded. "Are you going hunting today?" he asked.

"We haven't talked to Sam or checked the papers yet, so we don't know." Dean grabbed his jacket and helped Dalia off of the bed. "You gonna hang around?"

"If that's alright."

Dean nodded and took Dalia's hand, walking out of the room. Sam and Elena were curled up on one of the leather couches in the library. They looked up and smiled. "Morning guys," Sam said. "Hey Cas."

"Sam, Elena." Cas walked over and sat at one of the tables.

Elena frowned and looked at Dalia but she just shook her head. She didn't need everyone to know that her ovaries weren't working properly. "Any cases?" she asked.

Sam sighed. "Not really."

"Seriously?" Dean looked at him. "There's nothing? Anywhere?"

"Nope," Elena said, leaning back into Sam. "Guess we've got another day off. I kind of want to go shopping. I'm running low on clothes that don't have rips in them."

"I can get on board with that," Dalia said.

Dean shrugged and looked at Sam. "Shopping trip?"

xXx

They split up in the mall, Sam and Elena going to Victoria's Secret. Apparently Elena needed some new bras. Dean was very certain they were going to have sex in the dressing room. So it was him, Dalia, and Cas who decided to tag along. He wasn't sure what Dalia needed to get, but he had a feeling they were going to have more than one awkward moment with Castiel hanging around. "Where are we going?" he asked, looking at Dalia.

"Jeans and tanks," she answered looking at the mall directory. "Just need to find a store I want to go to."

"I recommend Aeropostale, Hollister, American Eagle, or Forever 21, they seem to be popular with the females."

Dean and Dalia both looked at Castiel who was contemplating the list of stores. "Why do you know that, Castiel?" Dalia asked.

"I know many things." He looked at her. "Which store shall we go to?"

She smiled a little and looped her arm around his. "Come on, angel boy, we're going to the easy store." She led him down the side of the mall. She looked over her shoulder at Dean and gave him a wink. He shook his head as he followed them. Oh this wasn't going to be good. Hilarious, yes, good, no.

They walked into J.C. Penney's and Dalia headed straight back to the women's department. Castiel looked around at the displays. Dalia walked over to the jeans and started picking through them. Dean crossed his arms, leaning against one of the support beams and watched her. "What size are you looking for?" Castiel asked from the other side of the clothes rack.

"A size twelve, I've got big hips." She pulled a pair off the rack and held them up, gauging them. She draped them over her arm deeming them worthy enough. Dean didn't realize but he was smiling, watching his best friend help his girlfriend pick out jeans. It was probably one of the strangest things he'd ever seen. He shook his head, watching Castiel point out that the jeans he was holding would hold up better being thrown against a wall than the pair with the decorative back pockets. He shook his head.

"You gonna try those on?" he asked.

She looked up at him, draping another pair over her arm. "I hadn't planned on it." Dalia moved on, heading to a rack of tank tops. "If they're too tight I'll lay off the beer for a while." She smiled holing up a tank top and gauging the size. "Call it motivation." She grabbed a few neutral colored tank tops and draped them.

"Anything else?" Castiel asked.

Dalia hummed, thinking about it as she looked around the store. Dean tracked her gaze and caught her looking at a display. He smirked a little, walking over to the manikin and started picking through the clothes under it, getting her sizes. She walked over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks."

He smirked a little. "I'm excited to see you in this," he whispered, grabbing her ass before dropping his hand. She smirked and walked over to the counter to check out. Castiel came over to stand beside Dean as they watched her. "Are you sure she's alright?"

"I could detect no abnormalities," Castiel said.

Dean nodded, watching her pay and take the bag. They met her by the door out of the store and back into the mall. She sighed and stuffed her wallet into her pocket as they walked. "You need anything?" she asked, looking between the two of them.

Castiel shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." Dean looked around. "The least amount of time we spend here the better." He put an arm around her as they walked. He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh no way…" He was staring into the window of a store selling swords and knives. "I gotta go in there."

Dalia rolled her eyes. "Of course you do." She sat on a bench. "Go on boys, go play." She smiled shaking her head as Dean dragged Cas inside of the store.

Dean walked in and started looking around. Who was he to say no to this kind of stuff? Besides, he was pretty sure there were some silver blades in here, it was always a good idea to have backups. He glanced at Cas who was looking at the array of swords on the wall while Dean looked at the silver knives. He shook his head. He never thought he'd see Castiel walking around the mall.

The guy running the store came over to talk to Dean about the blades her was looking at. He wanted way too much for them. There was no way he was spending three hundred bucks on a knife. He glanced over at Dalia as he moved on to something else and saw the three guys surrounding her. They looked like typical jackasses. He tapped Cas on the arm as he walked out of the store.

"C'mon pretty girl," one of them said, sitting beside her. "We just want your number. Don't you want to have some fun?"

Dean rolled his eyes. If they thought that was going to work on Dalia they were bigger idiots than he thought. He crossed his arms, standing behind her. She tipped her head up and looked at him, smiling. "Hey baby," she said, leveling her eyes back on the three stooges. "Better run boys, my boyfriend doesn't like punk ass bitches."

The one sitting beside her glared at her and got up. "What did you say?" he demanded. Dalia sighed and flashed her gun, hiding under her jacket. That's all it took for them to run off.

She rolled her eyes and got up. "Come on, I need to go to Victoria's Secret while we're here." She took Dean's hand and walked down the mall towards the store.

"What was all of that about?" he asked.

"Just a couple of douchebags who thought they could get lucky." She kissed his cheek. "Nothing I couldn't handle." She looked over at Castiel. "How do you not get hot in that thing?" she asked. Walking around and shopping always made her hot.

He shrugged. "Probably something to do with the face that I'm an angle."

"Yeah you are," a girl said in passing, overhearing Cas.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I've learned not to question it." They walked into Victoria's Secret. Dean saw Sam over by the dressing room, sitting on a pink chair, waiting for Elena to come out of the room. He glanced at Castiel. "You gonna be okay in here man?" he asked.

Castiel looked around. "It's very pink." He looked at Dean. "Very pink."

"Yeah, well, normal girls tend to like pink." He watched Dalia walk over to a display of bras and start looking through them. He just smirked and started looking around himself. He wanted to get something special for her. He noticed Cas was following him and tried to ignore it. He didn't necessarily need his best friend watching while he picked out sex clothes for his girlfriend.

"This would look best on her," Cas said, holding up a black teddy. "And it's her size."

Dean swiped it from him and rubbed his eyes. He opened his mouth to explain to Cas why this was weird, but decided he didn't want the headache. "Thanks, man." He patted him on the shoulder and walked over to Sam. "How're you doing?" he asked.

Sam nodded towards the bags at his feet. "She's having a blast." He watched as Dalia brought over her bag and set it beside Dean before disappearing into the same dressing room Elena was in. Dean bit his lip and groaned, just thinking about all of the possibilities of what could be going on behind that pink door. "That's just mean."

They heard the girls giggle. "Son of a bitch." Dean rubbed his face and looked away. "They're doing it on purpose." Sam nodded, staring at the door. To save himself from the torture, Dean got up and went over to the register to pay for the teddy Cas had picked out. He stuffed the bag into his jacket as the girls walked over with Sam behind them. Dalia gave him a look but he just shook his head, giving her a wink as they paid for their things. They were going to have fun tonight.


	3. Heart Sickness

Dark Places

Chapter 3: Heart Sickness

Dean frowned as he watched Dalia stumble around the kitchen. She looked like she hadn't slept in three days. Her eyes were starting to sink in, bloodshot with dark circles, and her skin was a sickly gray color. Looking at her brought back memories of Sam going through the trials when they'd been trying to close the gates of Hell. She kept telling him she was fine, but he didn't buy it for a second.

"Dalia." She turned and looked at him, a frown pulling at her lips. "We need to talk." He watched her all but flinch at his words. Son of a bitch. What was wrong with her?

She shuffled slowly over to the table and fell into the chair across from him. She crossed her arms, staring down at the table. "What do you want to talk about?"

He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. He was about to piss her off. "I think you should sit the hunt out." Dalia's head snapped up, eyes wide. "Look, baby, you're sick. You need to stay home, get better." Honestly, he was starting to wonder if his dad had been right. Maybe this job, this life, wasn't good for her. Maybe she did need to get out.

She shook her head and stood up. "Fine."

Dean watched her walk out of the room. "Son of a bitch." That wasn't like her either. She should have put up a fight. He scrubbed his hands over his face and pushed away from the tbale. Sam and Elena were waiting in the library for him, but he had one last thing he needed to do. He pulled his phone out and dialed Castiel's number.

"Good morning Dean."

"Hey, Cas. Can…can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"Dalia's sick, and we've got a hunt. Do you think you could come stay with her? Just keep her company until I get back?"

"I'll be there momentarily."

"Thanks, Cas." Dean hung up and walked out to the library.

"What's going on?" Sam asked. He grabbed his and Elena's bags as they stood up. They were worried about Dalia too.

"Well she's not happy about it, but she's going to stay. Cas is on his way, he's going to stay with her." He grabbed his own bag and looked up as Cas walked down the stairs. He felt like an ass, leaving Dalia. He wanted to stay and watch over her but he had a feeling she didn't want to see him right now. "Call me if she gets worse."

Castiel nodded. "I'll look after her."

Dean nodded and gave one last look to the hall that led to the bedrooms. "Thanks man." He clapped Cas on the shoulder and made his way to the garage, Sam and Elena following him.

"Dean, are you sure you don't want to stay?" Sam asked as the loaded their duffels. "Elena and I can handle this."

He shook his head and closed the trunk. "No, I don't think she wants me hanging around." He climbed into the car and sighed, starting it after Sam and Elena climbed in. "Besides, Cas is with her. She'll be okay."

Dean pulled out of the garage, heading out of town. He was really hoping she'd be okay. He didn't know what the hell was going on, or what was wrong with her. All he knew was that it was the life doing it to her. Maybe it was time to get out of it.

xXx

Dalia pulled her hair back, roughly wrapping the hair tie around the mess. Everything hurt, she was pretty sure she was running a fever, and her vision was blurry. She felt like she could sleep for a month and it still wouldn't be enough. She rubbed her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. Maybe Dean had been right keeping her off the hunt.

It didn't change the fact that his soulmate light was almost out.

She rubbed her face and sighed when someone knocked on her door. "Yeah?" she called out, her voice weak and raspy.

Castiel walked in, quietly closing the door behind him. His brows drew together as he frowned. "You don't look well."

Dalia had to laugh a little at that. "Thanks, Cas." She sighed and looked over at the angle. "Dean send you to babysit me?"

He sighed a little. "He asked me to watch over you, yet." Dalia nodded her head as he sat beside her on the bed. "May I take a look?"

"Knock yourself out." She laid back and closed her eyes. She felt Castiel's cool hand press against her forehead, it actually felt nice compared to the fever burning inside of her. It didn't take long before she could feel his grace moving though her body, checking all of the nooks and crannies for defects. It felt like he was flooding her veins with cold water, so she all but whined when he pulled away.

"I took away the fever," he whispered.

Dalia frowned and opened her eyes. Cas looked worried. "What did you find, Cas?"

He sighed, looking at her. "It appears that the tendons in your heart, your heart strings, they're fraying."

She rubbed her eyes. She had to be hearing things. "I'm sorry, are you telling me that I have a broken heart?"

"That's exactly what he's telling you." Dalia might be sick, but her reflexes were still sharp. Before the sentence had been finished she'd pulled her gun and aimed it and Castiel had drawn his angel blade. She narrowed her eyes on Aphrodite. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"What the hell do you want?" Dalia demanded, dropping the gun. She wasn't happy to see the goddess.

"You're dying, Dalia, and there's only one way to fix it." Aphrodite walked over and sighed, shaking her head. "When I gave you this gift I had no idea it would lead to this."

"What are you talking about?" She was too tired, too sick to deal with riddles and beating around the bush.

"Your soulmate is losing his bond with you, and you're directly connected to it, your heart is tied to his. When the bond fades, your heart will break, and you're going to die." Aphrodite stroked Dalia's head, frowning as she looked over her. "It's too late for me to take the gift away, there's only one thing you can do."

"What?" Tears were forming in Dalia's eyes. She hadn't been going crazy. Dean really was falling out of love with her. This was it.

"You have to make him love you again."

She shook her head and scrubbed her hands over her face. "You say that like it's easy. I can't just make Dean fall in love with me again."

"You don't have to," Cas growled. He picked Dalia up and moved her away from Aphrodite. It was fair to say he didn't trust the goddess. "Dean hasn't stopped loving you."

"Cas…the light is going out." Dalia looked up at him, tears slipping from her eyes. "I watch it get dimmer every day."

He shook his head. "This is John's fault." He set Dalia down in a chair away from Aphrodite. "You gave your warning. Now leave."

She sighed and stood, looking past him at Dalia. "I wish you the best of luck."

Castiel started pacing after she'd left. "What did you mean this is John's fault?" Dalia asked.

"He planted doubt in Dean's head. He thinks it's the job doing this to you because John put it there. He's _trying_ to push you away. But he still loves you."

Dalia rubbed her eyes and tried to make sense of everything. If she was right, she was dying from a broken heart because Dean loved her too much and wanted her out of the life so he was pushing her away, because his dead, again, father had planted seeds of doubt. She wanted to bring John back to life just so she could kill him again. It looked like he was going to get half of his wish. She didn't know how to make Dean's bond with her stronger. She'd been trying for months with no luck. She was going to die.

"I'm calling Dean." Cas pulled out his phone and dialed. Dalia wanted to stop him, she honestly didn't think there was anything that could be done at this point. Their light was a candle compared to the supernova it had once been. But she was so cold and tired. She didn't have the energy to stop him. "He's not answering…"

xXx

Dean sighed as he pulled up to the gas station and park in front of a pump. They'd only made it about half an hour from the bunker. "You want anything?" Sam asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He climbed out and walked around to the back, unscrewing the gas cap and sticking the pump nozzle in. While Baby fueled up, Dean pulled his cellphone out of his pocket to check to see if Cas had called. They'd just come out of a dead zone. He swore, seeing the several missed calls from the angel. He quickly hit redial and held the phone to his ear. Panic started to choke him.

"Dean."

"What's going on?" he demanded. "What's wrong?"

"You need to come home. Now."

Dean returned the pump to the station as Sam and Elena came back. He motioned them to get back in the car. "Talk to me, Cas, what's going on." He climbed into the car and started the engine, pulling out and heading back to the bunker.

"Dalia's heart…it's not in a good condition. She doesn't have much time left."

Dean frowned as he pushed the pedal all the way to the floor. "What do you mean she doesn't have much time left?" he snapped. "Can't you just use your angel mojo and save her?"

"I've already tried, Dean. There's nothing I can do this time."

Dean heard something that sounded like a crash in the background. "Cas?" He didn't respond. "Cas!" Still nothing. "Damn it!" Dean threw his phone against the dash and pushed a hand through his hair. What the hell did Cas mean there was nothing he could do this time? He had all of his grace, he was running on a full charge.

"What's going on?" Sam asked calmly from the backseat.

He shook his head, panic and adrenaline choking him. "I don't know." With the way he was driving it didn't take them long to get back to the bunker. Dean bolted from the car, leaving her running and ran inside. "Cas!" he called out, looking around as he took the stairs two at a time. They weren't in the library. "Cas!" He started towards the bedroom. Cas opened the door before Dean could kick it open. All he had to do was look at his best friend to see that it was too late. "No…" He pushed past Castiel and into the room.

Dalia was lying on the bed, drenched in sweat. Her breath was quick, short, ragged. He rushed over, hitting his knees beside the bed, pulling her hand into his. Her skin was ice cold. "Dean," she whispered, looking up at him. She looked so broken, so…defeated. "It's too late…" Tears leaked from her eyes, trailing down her sickly pale skin.

He shook his head, cupping her head in his hands. "What's going on, baby? Talk to me."

"It's the soulmate bond." Dean looked up at the woman that appeared in the room. "You're pushing her away and your bond is fading. It's nearly gone. When that happens she's going to die."

What the hell was she talking about? He looked down at Dalia. "Baby, I love you. More than anything." He kissed her head, his own tears collecting in his eyes.

"You're pushing her away."

"I thought the job was doing this to her," he snapped. "I didn't know…" he shook his head and pressed his lips against Dalia's head. "Don't you leave me, you hear me?" he whispered. "Don't you dare leave me." He looked up at Aphrodite. "Isn't there something you can do?" he demanded.

She shook her head. "Not anymore." She sighed and looked at everyone else. "This is a waiting game and they should be alone." She led everyone else from the room.

Dean climbed onto the bed and pulled Dalia into him. She gripped his shirt in her hands. "It's so dim," she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes.

"You can't leave me, Dalia. You can't." He shook his head, fisting a hand in her hair, trying to physically hold her to this world. "I can't do this without you." His heart was shattering into a thousand pieces. He'd thought it was the job that'd done this to her, that she'd needed to get out of it. He hadn't seen that he was the one causing her the pain. He never should have listened to John. This was all his fault. "Do you remember the first time we met?" he asked.

She laughed a little before choking on the air. "I was hustling pool in this shitty dive bar."

"That's right." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I'd hoped we'd run into you again after you walked away. Then we did."

"We shot each other."

He laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. "Yeah, we did. It scared the crap out of me when that ghost had you."

"You came for me." She looked up at him. He wanted to believe that he saw color coming back to her skin, but part of him told him he was seeing things.

"I'll always come for you." Dean dipped his head and kissed her, cupping her face. "I love you, Dalia, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life making up for this."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I don't think it's going to be that easy, Dean." She panted, trying to gain control over her breathing. Everything hurt.

"I'm not letting you go again." He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her as they laid there. "Like it or not, you're stuck with me."

Dalia wasn't sure, her vision was too blurry, her lids too heavy to keep open for too long, but maybe…just maybe she saw that light grow a little brighter.


	4. Stronger

Dark Places

Chapter 4: Stronger

Dean hadn't slept at all. He'd stayed up all night, watching over Dalia, managing her fever and making sure she was breathing. Over the course of the ten hours she'd been sleeping he'd managed to get rid of her fever completely and her breathing had returned to normal. He was hoping that was a sign that she was getting better.

He looked over when someone knocked on the door. He didn't want to leave Dalia's side, didn't want to get out of bed, but he didn't want to wake her either. He sighed and eased out from under the blankets and walked over to the door. He cracked it open and looked at Sam. "Yeah?"

"How's she doing?" Sam asked. He looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep either.

Dean ran a hand over his face and glanced back at Dalia's sleeping form. "I don't know man. I think she's getting better, but I just don't know."

Sam nodded a little. "I brought you some coffee. I figured you could use it."

Dean took the coffee. "Thanks. Is Cas still here?"

"Yeah, Aphrodite too." He sighed a little. "They've been fighting pretty much all night."

Dean had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. "Can you send Cas in? I wasn't him to take a look at Dalia." Sam nodded and walked off. Dean gently closed the door and went back to the bed. He sighed as he sat down beside Dalia. She rolled into him, seeking him in her sleep. He reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "You awake baby?"

"Just a little…" she rolled closer and set her head on his thigh. "Where'd you go?"

"Sammy brought coffee. You want some?"

Dalia sat up slowly, nodding her head as Castiel walked into the room. She took the mug from Dean and took a sip. "How are you feeling?" Cas asked.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know…a little achy but not as bad as yesterday." She took another sip of coffee and handed it back to Dean. "No fever…no chills…" Dalia looked at Dean. "The light is stronger."

"May I?" Cas asked. Dalia nodded and closed her eyes as Castiel reached out and gently touched her forehead. Dean watched carefully, watching Dalia's face for signs of pain. Cas pulled away and looked at him. "Your heart strings are mending. They're still not fully healed, but another day or two and then they should be."

Dean let out the breath he'd been holding and sat beside her on the bed again. Relief flooding through him. "Thanks Cas." The angle nodded before leaving. Dean took Dalia's hand and looked at her. "Are you really feeling better?"

"Yeah, Dean. I'm okay." She smiled and cupped his face. "I could use something to eat though."

"I'm all over that." He jumped up and clapped his hands together. "What do you want? I can make pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, you name it baby."

Dalia laughed a little. "Some bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns actually sound pretty good. But first, do you think you could help me take a shower? I don't trust my legs yet."

"Yes ma'am." Dean walked over to the dresser and pulled her favorite sweats and one of his flannels out of the drawers, along with a pair of thick, fluffy socks. After quickly grabbing clothes for himself he handed them to Dalia and gently picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the room. She smiled and laid her head against his shoulder. This was what she needed. Them, just spending some time alone together. She wasn't clingy by any means, she understood that it was healthy in every relationship for each person to have their own time, their own space. That wasn't what this was about with Dean.

It was about him not pushing her away.

Dean walked into the bathroom and gently set her down on the counter and folded the clothes up beside her. "Just hold on one minute." He kissed her head and walked over to the shower and started the water, testing it with his hand before going back to her. He quickly stripped out of his clothes, then he helped her get her tank top over her head before helping her off the counter. Dalia held onto his arms, her legs still weak, and Dean pushed the rest of her clothes down her legs.

"You're spoiling me," she whispered as he helped her into the shower.

"I kind of owe you. I've been a dick lately." He gently tipped her head back into the spray, wetting her hair and grabbed her shampoo.

"It wasn't entirely you're fault." She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck while he lathered the shampoo into her hair, massaging her scalp. "I should have said something sooner, I've watched that light get dimmer for months, and I never said anything."

"Why didn't you?" he asked, voice quiet as he tipped her head back and rinsed the suds from her hair.

"I was scared." She shrugged a little. "I thought maybe I could fix it myself." She looked up at him when she felt him reach for the conditioner. "I'm sorry."

Dean paused and set the bottle back down. He gently cupped her face in his hands and dipped his head, kissing her. Dalia could feel the love pour from him and into her. She moaned softly, wrapping her arms a little tighter around his neck. His hands slid down her sides and around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. "We both messed up," he whispered. "Now we've got to make it right."

She nodded, leaning into him as he grabbed the conditioner and worked it into her hair. By the time they got out of the shower Dalia was feeling better about the whole situation. Dean wrapped a towel around her and kissed her head as he dried off. She smiled and wrapped another in her hair as she reached for her clothes. She got dressed and looked over at Dean. "Baby?" He looked up at her as he pulled his own pair of sweats up his legs. She smiled a little at that. It meant he was staying with her all day. "I love you."

He smiled and stood, walking over to her, water still glistening off his bare chest. "I love you too." He kissed her head and grabbed the flannel he'd taken for her and pulled it over her head. Dalia braided her hair as he finished getting dressed. She laughed when he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom. "Time to feed my baby."

She shook her head as he carried her towards the kitchen. Elena and Sam looked up from the small table when they walked in. "You look better," Elena said.

"I feel better." Dean sat her down at the table between Sam and Elena and walked over to the fridge to start cooking. "Actually, I feel a lot better than I did yesterday."

"Up for a hunt better?" Sam asked.

"Not that much better. Why, do you have a hunt?" she asked.

"Nope, just checking." He smiled a little and pushed his coffee towards her. "It's my third, you need it more than me."

"Awe, thanks Sammy." She took it and took a sip, looking over at Dean as he cooked. The light was definitely getting stronger.

xXx

Castiel was browsing through the vast collection of books in the library. He was elated that Dalia was getting better. He'd seen Dean go through heartbreak before. He'd seen it with Sam, Bobby, Ellen and Jo and Charlie. He'd seen it the first time Dalia had died. He honestly didn't think Dean had any more heartbreaks left. The next one, especially if it was Sam or Dalia, the two people he loved most in the world, Castiel was sure it would break him.

What he wasn't happy about was how they'd ended up in this mess in the first place. He wanted to blame Crowley, but if he was being honest, it was all Aphrodite's fault. If she'd never given Dalia the gift when she'd resurrected her, they wouldn't be fighting so hard to keep her alive.

"You don't like me very much, do you, Castiel?"

He turned and looked at the goddess, leaning against a shelve of books. "No. I don't, and I think you should leave. Dalia's healing. We don't need you here anymore."

She smiled and walked closer to him, cupping his face in her palm. "She's my daughter now, I won't leave her just because an _angel_ tells me to."

"If you really cared about her you would have taken away this power long before it started to kill her," he snapped. He was protective of the Winchesters, he always had been. But now, he had two more under his care. Dalia and Elena were as precious to him as the boys were. He would do anything to see them safe.

"Is that what your father did?" Aphrodite dropped her hand and took a step back. "He let his children rebel, let them start the end of times, let you die on a number of occasions, let you raise the Leviathan from Purgatory." The goddess leveled her eyes on him, dangerous and dark. "Don't speak to me of what a mother should do when your father was content to watch the world burn."

Cas glared at her, but instead of getting into a larger debate, he walked past her, heading for the kitchen. He found his charges at the table, eating breakfast and laughing. Dalia did look better. Her color was back. He walked over and sat beside them at the already crowded table.

"Cas?" Dalia said, looking up at him.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk for a minute?" He nodded and stood, reaching out to take her arm when she wavered on her feet. She assured Dean she would be alright and that Cas wouldn't let her fall when he shot up. He guided her out of the room where they could have some privacy. "I want to thank you."

He frowned a bit. "For what?"

She smiled and took his hands in hers. "You were there for me when Dean left to go hunting with John. You were there to be a shoulder for me to cry on. Yesterday you were there to make sure I was alright."

"You weren't alright. You were dying."

"But you were there nonetheless." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You didn't have to be."

He was confused. Didn't she see how important she was? "Yes, I did." He led her over to a chair and eased her into it before kneeling in front of her. "Sam and Dean, they're very important to me. They have been for a long time. It takes a very strong bond, a strong…unity for an angel to fall, yet they managed to do it in a few short months. I do what I can to help them, to keep them safe, but there are some things I am unable to do."

"You're an angel. There's nothing you can't do."

He shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "You're wrong. The boys…they need love in their lives, more than what they get from each other. What you and Elena have given them is what is going to keep them alive. If you two hadn't come along, I'd estimate they had another two, maybe three years left in them before this life tore them apart. Now, more than ever, they have a reason to keep fighting, to carry on." He gently cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "You saved them in a way I never could, and for that, you and Elena are very important to me. So, when you say I didn't have to be there to comfort you, you're wrong. I did have to be there."

Dalia wiped the tears that were clinging to her eyes. She knew Castiel loved the boys, she just never thought he shared the same love for her and Elena. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. "Thank you, Castiel."

Things were slowly mending, getting better. The soulmate bond was growing stronger between her and Dean. Castiel estimated that as long as it kept growing, and he didn't do something stupid to try and push her away again, she'd be back to hunting inside of a week.

And as soon as her heartstrings were mended and she was out of the shadow of Death, he was going to force that arrogant goddess to take back her _gift_ and give Dalia her life back.


End file.
